A changing landscape

The road construction continues around here, and as my shock over the destruction fades, I'm taking notice of the new view from our upper floor. What was once just trees and a sliver of river is now a mound of dirt, traffic, and lots of river. I do like seeing the water more often. I note the level of the river every day now and watch the waves on windy days. The other afternoon kiteboarders zipped back and forth across the river as I enjoyed a bubble bath.

Whoa, I can spy on beach-goers from afar--can't wait until the nude beach opens next summer!

Our family landscape is changing, too. Family from both sides have moved nearby in the last year and joined us for Thanksgiving. Our table is a little more crowded now and we are so glad.

Puppy love

Ole and Pepper have developed a nice relationship over the last year. While I'd call Ole more of a cat person, I think he appreciates Pepper's goofy side and endless patience. They lovingly overlook each other's faults (Ole's tail-pulling and Pepper's dagger claws) in the name of friendship.

Happy Owl-oween!

I'd been thinking about Ole's costume for a month or so. On our road trip we visited the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, and I used this little owl as my inspiration, but Sunday night I was staring at a pile of fabric and counting the hours until Halloween.

I got started cutting out felt feathers--they piled up quickly.

Out came the glue gun. The only real sewing in the whole costume was the simple hat shape. I made that during nap time and "winged it", pardon the pun. I never use patterns and rarely measure. Somehow I manage to eyeball pretty well, and thankfully there were no do-overs. The whole costume came together just as I'd envisioned it, and I've been busy patting myself on the back. Total cost: maybe $4 worth of felt and a bit of brown jersey for the hat.

Here's Ole catching his first glimpse of it.

We headed to the neighbor's house Halloween evening for trick-or-treating. They heeded my request for no candy and treated Ole to a healthy asian pear (perhaps that's why he's not smiling).

 Whoooooooo!

All Hallows' Eve Eve

Tonight we sorted through our autumn booty of pumpkins and carved jack-o'-lanterns. Ole scooped the seeds and guts...

and brainstormed costume ideas.

On the road again

We hit the road again this fall, driving a camper from Minnesota back to Washington. It was our first RV experience, being a bit younger than the target demographic, and we enjoyed rumbling down the open road. Despite the rain and snow we encountered, it is especially nice traveling in the fall: less traffic, empty campgrounds, changing leaves. Our evening soundtrack was the honking of geese flying overhead in giant chevrons.

With help from the internet and navigation, we tracked down Hazel's pumpkin patch in rural Nebraska. The whole farm was dedicated to the effort, with a maze through the corn field, the farmhouse converted to snack bar/haunted house/gift shop, hay rides, another maze made of giant round hay bales, and on and on. I find the miles of flat farmland and wide expanse of sky so beautiful. It was also sunny and nearly 80 degrees, giving us a nice dose of vitamin D!

The corn maze to the witch's house. Note the corn stunted from the drought.

Ole finds a pint-sized pumpkin

And a jumbo

Wheeling our haul of pumpkins back to the farmhouse

Our favorite campsite was at Lake Walcott in southern Idaho. The reservoir had been drained slightly for winter, exposing the dock and many feet of muddy shoreline, so we explored and then stood and watched some waterfowl very similar to loons for a long time.

Evening chores

As the days get shorter this fall, evening chores get earlier and earlier--so early that Ole can tag along. We lock up the chickens and the goats, fill up the feeders and waterers, count the chickens and gather the eggs. In a spirit of bloggy truthfulness, I should admit that amidst dinner, bath and bedtime, Alex does these chores alone almost every night. But this night, we head out together.

Nellie Corser

We all saw the forecast for imminent rain. Quick, what's the best way to salute our long beautiful summer? A hike! I tore Ole away from his yard work.

We headed to a trail near the house called the Nellie Corser Unit. This teeny-tiny park is named for the mysterious homesteader who spent some time here, but it has all the requisites for a good hike--big trees, a stream with waterfalls, and very few visitors. Halfway to the trailhead I realized I'd forgotten the hiking backpack for Ole. Ugh, looks like he's riding on my shoulders today.

I love the woods.

On the trail I enjoyed watching Pepper's transformation from lazy couch dog to action adventure dog. She raced up and down the steep hillsides and, when we reached the stream, she dove straight in.

We had such a good time that we headed back the very next day with Alex (and the backpack!). While we admired the beauty, we both thought it would be a pretty challenging place to carve out a homestead. Good on ya, Nellie.

The 1.7 Week in Review

Finding treasures in the garden

On their way to the salsa factory

Pointing out a honeybee

Spinning full frames of honey as Pepper looks on

Crazy playgroup with six little boys

Some quiet time with Dad before bed